New-York tribune., 1887-12-13
L4VfR AND CHISOLI

No one whose memory Of our politics runs
back ten years can have forgotten the massacre
Of the Chisolm family IN kcmpcr County
Mississippi. by brutal Democratic mob. There
is 10 moro pathetic and beautiful figure in his
tory than that Of Cornclia ChiSoim claSping
her diving father in her arms while the repre-
scntatiycs Of Southern chiyaliy fiddlcd her
fair body with buckShot. Father, daughter
and son were murdered in cold blood without
eau ,c or proyocation. because The father wanted
to bc allowed to exercise his rights aS a citizen
to speak and to vote rs his conscience taught
him. have been murdered" said hc IN l's
last moments. because | am Republican.
and would live a free man."
This murder was the outcome Of a determine
tion on the part Of the white Democrats Of
Mississippi that the negroes should not have
the moral support and encouragement Of any
white man in politics. Once deprived II this
corporation. the negroes. Inexperienced N.
timid. couIJ easily BE- terrified into submission.
The sequel has proved that the calculation
was correct. White men were 80 he persuaded
or bullicd into standing with their race. and
il they could not be persuaded or bul.lcd. they
were to be killed. Hundreds OF pages ol t">t
mony before Congress. dripping with blood
prove that this is not an exaggerated statement.
Who was the mouthpiccc and leader OF THIS
movement in Mississippi? We VA let " Tho
Nicllsbur Herald good Democratic authority.
answer:
At Aberdeen last Saturday Colonel Lamar made ar
eloquent speech letter Dcmocrafic speech Nc do
to listen 20; and I'm manly and ringing tones
he declared that tho contest involved the supremacy
49, LtN.
We were glad to hear th, bold and manly avo"A, anl
it was greeted with dcaicnlng Iiaudi-. We ha'
never seen men moro terribly I'm earnest. ard ih'
Democratic whte-linc speech made TO them by Colonel
Lamar aroused them 10 white heat.
Does somebody say. go. but this was a
peaceful movement. Mr. Lamar could not
Lave countcn1nccd any violcncc"? Well,
read this fiom the came paper:
II the illlns ~ anybody is nccrssary, We rcrcr
what We have heretofore .ad let The Ioo~ pass
and lct the white sc,undic, who have fired hi, hear,
with cvil Ia>-ion Doe The only sufferers
These were the sentiments openly expressed
in the campaign in which Mr. Lamar was the
acknowlcdgcd loadcr. Can any one imagine
James G.. Blame or John Shcrman taking lart
in a campaign in which the ica ding nov sp1pcrs
Of his party advocated the murder Of political
opponents? llr. lamar spoke IN kompcr
County nj Il meeting at which Judge Chls'lm
vas mentioned as the man who stood IN thc
way II victory. Professor = :. Cartwright
spoke 1T De kalb. within sight of Judge Chs
cln's home, and said:
Gentlemen. II you over expect 10 have p"ac" and
harmony In yoir county you must get I'd u this man
viii not undcrtahc to tell yOn how 20 get I'd Of him
that you know well as bat YOU must get nd Of
him.
Then followed gesture initiative of hang
ing. and the crowd laughed and ohccrcd.
These were Mr. I.amar's friends and supporters
ten wears ago in Mississippi. These were The
sentiments he coun,onanccd, against which he
never protested
William T.. Chandler, now Senator, said of
this at the time:
such Lamar and Garthrigh' and Money.
than the ignorant southern whiio trash Of Kcm
lcr County. rcspon,hlo for the 'hI'olm tragedy
and the failure to punish tho murdercrs, to over
lasting National dl, grace.
Every man knows this to be the truth. Yet
it is now proposed to make the leader and
associate Of this cd-handod crew a Judge Of
the Supreme Court Of the United States.